لِّيَسۡ‍َٔلَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ عَن صِدۡقِهِمۡۚ وَأَعَدَّ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا 8

8 So that Allah may ask the truthful people (i.e. Prophets) about conveying Allah’s message completely and We have prepared a painful torment for the dis-believers.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ جَآءَتۡكُمۡ جُنُودٞ فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ رِيحٗا وَجُنُودٗا لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَاۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرًا 9

9 O you who believe! Remember Allah’s Favours upon you when huge armies came against you, so We sent against them a wind (which destroyed their tents) and troops which you did not see (i.e. angels during the battle of Al-Ahzaab). And Allah is All-Seer of what you do.

إِذۡ جَآءُوكُم مِّن فَوۡقِكُمۡ وَمِنۡ أَسۡفَلَ مِنكُمۡ وَإِذۡ زَاغَتِ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ وَبَلَغَتِ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ ٱلۡحَنَاجِرَ وَتَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلظُّنُونَا۠ 10

10 When your enemies came upon you from above you and from below you, and when your eyes were staring (due to terror) and the hearts reached to the throats, and several doubts were created in you about Allah (this was the state of mind of some believers at that time).

هُنَالِكَ ٱبۡتُلِيَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَزُلۡزِلُواْ زِلۡزَالٗا شَدِيدٗا 11

11 There the believers were tested and they were shaken with an extremely se-vere shaking.

وَإِذۡ يَقُولُ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ مَّا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ إِلَّا غُرُورٗا 12

12 And when the hypocrites and those with a disease (of doubt-fulness) in their hearts said: “Allah and His messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) have made only a deceiving promise.”

وَإِذۡ قَالَت طَّآئِفَةٞ مِّنۡهُمۡ يَٰٓأَهۡلَ يَثۡرِبَ لَا مُقَامَ لَكُمۡ فَٱرۡجِعُواْۚ وَيَسۡتَ‍ٔۡذِنُ فَرِيقٞ مِّنۡهُمُ ٱلنَّبِيَّ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوۡرَةٞ وَمَا هِيَ بِعَوۡرَةٍۖ إِن يُرِيدُونَ إِلَّا فِرَارٗا 13

13 And when a group of them said: “O people of Yathrib (Al-Madinah)! It is not a suitable site for you to stay (it is like inviting death). You better retreat back to your homes.” And another group of them asked the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) for the permission (to go back home), saying: “Truly, our homes are not secure (from the enemy)”, although their homes were not unsecure. In fact, they simply wished to flee from there.

وَلَوۡ دُخِلَتۡ عَلَيۡهِم مِّنۡ أَقۡطَارِهَا ثُمَّ سُئِلُواْ ٱلۡفِتۡنَةَ لَأٓتَوۡهَا وَمَا تَلَبَّثُواْ بِهَآ إِلَّا يَسِيرٗا 14

14 And if (the enemy forces) are made to enter (the city) from all directions and they (the hypocrites) are asked to revert to disbelief, they will not hesitate, but little, to go back to disbelief (i.e. they love and long for disbelief).

وَلَقَدۡ كَانُواْ عَٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مِن قَبۡلُ لَا يُوَلُّونَ ٱلۡأَدۡبَٰرَۚ وَكَانَ عَهۡدُ ٱللَّهِ مَسۡ‍ُٔولٗا 15

15

قُل لَّن يَنفَعَكُمُ ٱلۡفِرَارُ إِن فَرَرۡتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ أَوِ ٱلۡقَتۡلِ وَإِذٗا لَّا تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا 16

16 [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: “Your fleeing will not benefit you at all if you flee with fear of death or being killed. You will be enjoying worldly life only for a short time (eventually you have to taste death).”

قُلۡ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَعۡصِمُكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ إِنۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ سُوٓءًا أَوۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ رَحۡمَةٗۚ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيّٗا وَلَا نَصِيرٗا 17

17 Say: “Who can protect you from Allah if He intends to harm you or (who can stop it) if He intends to show His mercy to you?” And they will not find any protector or helper for themselves besides Allah.

۞قَدۡ يَعۡلَمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُعَوِّقِينَ مِنكُمۡ وَٱلۡقَآئِلِينَ لِإِخۡوَٰنِهِمۡ هَلُمَّ إِلَيۡنَاۖ وَلَا يَأۡتُونَ ٱلۡبَأۡسَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا 18

18 Allah is fully aware of those among you who hold back others and they say to their brethren: “Come along and join us.” And they come to the battle rarely (since they are afraid of death).

أَشِحَّةً عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ ٱلۡخَوۡفُ رَأَيۡتَهُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيۡكَ تَدُورُ أَعۡيُنُهُمۡ كَٱلَّذِي يُغۡشَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۖ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ ٱلۡخَوۡفُ سَلَقُوكُم بِأَلۡسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ أَشِحَّةً عَلَى ٱلۡخَيۡرِۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ فَأَحۡبَطَ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٗا 19

19 They are extremely miser in helping you [in (i) digging the ditch (ii) in fighting (iii) financially]. Then when fear comes, you will see them looking to-wards you, with their eyes revolving like the one over whom death hovers. But when the fear disappears, they verbally attack you with their sharp tongues. They are very greedy for riches. (In fact,) they have not believed. So Allah has made all their deeds null and void and that is very easy for Allah.

يَحۡسَبُونَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابَ لَمۡ يَذۡهَبُواْۖ وَإِن يَأۡتِ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابُ يَوَدُّواْ لَوۡ أَنَّهُم بَادُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ يَسۡ‍َٔلُونَ عَنۡ أَنۢبَآئِكُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ كَانُواْ فِيكُم مَّا قَٰتَلُوٓاْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا 20

20 They think that the forces (of the disbelievers) have not yet withdrawn. And if the forces come again, they wish that they were in the desert among the villag-ers, seeking news about you (from a remote area without seeing this bitter fighting). And if (some of them cannot go to the villages and) they happen to be among you, they shall fight very casually or ineffectively.

لَّقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِي رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٞ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَ وَذَكَرَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرٗا 21

21 Indeed, there is an excellent example in the Messenger of Allah to follow for everyone who hopes for the meeting with Allah and the Hereafter and remembers Allah much (i.e. if the Messenger is participating in the battle, why should you shun it?) (Also see Surah Aal-Imran:31)

وَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابَ قَالُواْ هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمۡ إِلَّآ إِيمَٰنٗا وَتَسۡلِيمٗا 22

22 (Some believers have special virtues) and when the believers saw the (big) troops of the disbelievers, they said: “This is what Allah and His messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger [Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)] had spoken the truth.” And it increased their faith and submission to Allah.

مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رِجَالٞ صَدَقُواْ مَا عَٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡهِۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحۡبَهُۥ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُواْ تَبۡدِيلٗا 23

23 There are men among the believers who have been true with their promises to Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their pledges (i.e. became martyrs) and others are (anxiously) waiting for it, but they have not even slightly changed (their commitment).

لِّيَجۡزِيَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ بِصِدۡقِهِمۡ وَيُعَذِّبَ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ إِن شَآءَ أَوۡ يَتُوبَ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا 24

24 (In the following four Verses the wisdom behind the Battle of Ahzab is de-scribed). So that Allah may reward the men of truth with their truthful (charac-ter), and punish the hypocrites, if He wills, or accept their repentance. Indeed, Allah is Very-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

وَرَدَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِغَيۡظِهِمۡ لَمۡ يَنَالُواْ خَيۡرٗاۚ وَكَفَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٱلۡقِتَالَۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ قَوِيًّا عَزِيزٗا 25

25 And Allah drove away the disbelievers in their rage (anger) without achiev-ing any benefit. And Allah was Sufficient for the believers in the fighting (i.e. Allah sent angels and bitter wind and thus the believers did not have to fight to defeat the disbelievers). And Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.

وَأَنزَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَٰهَرُوهُم مِّنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ مِن صَيَاصِيهِمۡ وَقَذَفَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلرُّعۡبَ فَرِيقٗا تَقۡتُلُونَ وَتَأۡسِرُونَ فَرِيقٗا 26

26 And those People of the Book, who helped the dis-believers, (Allah) brought them down from their fortress. And Allah did put fear in their hearts, a group (of them) you killed and a group (of them) you made prisoners.

وَأَوۡرَثَكُمۡ أَرۡضَهُمۡ وَدِيَٰرَهُمۡ وَأَمۡوَٰلَهُمۡ وَأَرۡضٗا لَّمۡ تَطَ‍ُٔوهَاۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٗا 27

27 And He made you (the believers) to inherit their lands, their houses, and their wealth and also the lands on which the believers had not yet put their foot on. (It means (i) Khaybar or (ii) Makkah or (iii) Persia and Rome or (iv) all lands which Muslims will conquer in future – Fath al-Qadeer).